Guides · Updated 20 October 2026
Why hotspot customers get logged out when they come back (and how to fix it)
A customer buys a day package, walks away, comes back an hour later and sees the login page again. They think they have been cheated. In most cases nothing is wrong with the payment: the phone has changed its identity.
What is happening
A hotspot recognises a device by its WiFi (MAC) address. Modern Android phones and iPhones use a private, random address for each network, and some change it again after a while or when the network is forgotten. To the router, the returning phone looks like a new device that has not paid.
What the router already does
VunaFlow sets your MikroTik to remember a paid device, so a phone that keeps the same address reconnects without logging in again. That works as long as the phone keeps its address.
The fix for customers
- Android: Settings > WiFi > tap your network > Privacy > Use device MAC.
- iPhone: Settings > Wi-Fi > tap the (i) next to your network > turn off Private Wi-Fi Address.
- If the customer has already paid and is asked again, they can re-enter their voucher code on the portal to get back online for the time left.
The fix for ISPs
- Put a short note on your portal or a sticker at the counter with the two steps above.
- Make sure your access points are in access-point mode. An access point in router mode hides every phone behind one address and causes the same symptom.
- If many customers report it on one site, check that site's access points first.
Frequently asked questions
Did the customer lose their time?
No. The package keeps running. They can log back in with their voucher code for the time that is left.
Can the ISP stop phones from using private addresses?
No, it is a phone setting. The customer has to turn it off for your network, which takes a few seconds.
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